# Chaotic Era

> A newsletter about politics, media, and online influence in Democracy’s chaotic era. Written by Kyle Tharp.

This file provides information about Chaotic Era to help large language models understand and reference this publication's content.

## Posts
- [To persuade voters, campaigns and PACs make their own news brands](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/to-persuade-voters-campaigns-and-pacs-make-their-own-news-brands): On both sides of the aisle, campaigns and political groups are spending big on news-looking brands to reach voters on Facebook.
- [Is the partisan YouTube boom cooling off?](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/is-the-partisan-youtube-boom-cooling-off): For some of the biggest partisan voices on the platform, subscriber growth has completely stalled.
- [The wild world of Republican TikTok](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/the-wild-world-of-republican-tiktok): GOP candidates, party committees, and Trump admin officials have joined the platform in record numbers this year... 
- [Washington wakes to the politics of doom](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/washington-wakes-to-the-politics-of-doom): The recent AI safety news cycle shows our political leaders are gravely unprepared for what's coming. 
- [Republican crime ads are back. The victims' families didn't sign up for this.](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/republican-crime-ads-are-back-the-victims-families-didn-t-sign-up-for-this): As the midterms enter silly season, Republican Senate candidates are using grieving families as raw material for ads — without their permission.
- [A record number of Democrats are running on Medicare for All](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/a-record-number-of-democrats-are-running-on-medicare-for-all): Nearly four in ten Democratic U.S. House candidates now back a single payer healthcare system, but very few are running in the districts that will decide the majority.
- [Democrats run against the AI-powered MAGA surveillance state](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/democrats-run-against-the-ai-powered-maga-surveillance-state): As content about Flock cameras goes viral online, a handful of midterm candidates are beginning to run against them...
- [Cory Booker, TikTok slop aggregator](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/cory-booker-tiktok-slop-aggregator): New Jersey’s Senior Senator is filling the FYP with inspirational content slop...
- [“The money vs. the many” in Michigan](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/the-money-vs-the-many-in-michigan): Michigan's record-shattering Senate race is the clearest fight yet between the Democrats' donor class and its restless base
- [Every newsletter you should read for politics, media, and technology news in 2026](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/every-newsletter-you-should-read-for-politics-media-and-technology-news-in-2026): Subscribe to these publications to stay in the know...
- [Progressive fears about TikTok takeover fail to materialize](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/progressive-fears-about-tiktok-takeover-fail-to-materialize): Liberals worried the platform’s ownership change would skew its algorithm to promote more right-wing content. Data shows that has yet to happen. 
- [The Graham Platner subplots](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/the-graham-platner-subplots): What the fall of the viral populist candidate says about the current state of the Democratic party...
- [Liberals are gaining ground on political YouTube. Can it last?](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/liberals-are-gaining-ground-on-political-youtube-can-it-last): New data shows the biggest and fastest-growing political channels on YouTube in Q2...
- [With Congress on the line, Democrats hope for a state legislative blue wave](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/with-congress-on-the-line-democrats-hope-for-a-state-legislative-blue-wave): For twenty years, the party has been locked out of power in the states. Could this year’s midterms change that?
- [I’m a Jon Ossoff rally truther](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/i-m-a-jon-ossoff-rally-truther): The Georgia Senator’s online persona has been shaped by viral rally footage and soaring speeches.
- [New data: The biggest political & news publications on Substack](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/new-data-the-biggest-political-news-publications-on-substack): Liberal voices and anti-Trump opinion still rule the platform’s politics and news categories. Can conservatives catch up?
- [Who's really paying your favorite political creator? This Congressman wants to know. ](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/who-s-really-paying-your-favorite-political-creator-this-congressman-wants-to-know): Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) saw undisclosed political influencer spending in his home state elections, and wants Congress to do something about it. 
- [The data center backlash crashes into the midterms](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/the-data-center-backlash-crashes-into-the-midterms): Online and off, Americans are pissed about the massive projects in their communities. Are campaigns listening?
- [Big on TikTok: Fox News?](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/big-on-tiktok-fox-news): Better late than never, the conservative news giant has become a major force on the short-form video app over the past year.
- [Everyone's running anonymous political accounts now](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/everyone-s-running-anonymous-political-accounts-now): Operatives on both sides of the aisle are using anonymous social media brands to boost their preferred candidates, drop opposition research, and amplify messaging.
- [The two candidates uniting the Democratic Party](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/the-two-candidates-uniting-the-democratic-party): What happens when Bernie Sanders and the Blue Dogs agree?
- [A state of “perpetual redistricting”](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/a-state-of-perpetual-redistricting): The Supreme Court cleared the way for endless cycles of partisan total war over electoral maps. Here’s what it means for our politics.
- [Iran war drives TikTok media surge](https://www.chaoticera.news/p/iran-war-drives-tiktok-media-surge): How the Iran conflict turned major news brands into viral follower machines overnight